Sunshine on a Cold Morning
by Alex-2598
Summary: Michael Yew, presumed dead, is willing to do whatever it takes to get back to Drew Tanaka, the girl he fell for. But war, loss, and the burdens of the past have taken their toll, and this time, the obstacles may be too much to overcome. Will this unlikely love prevail? Drew/Yew
1. Chapter 1

**This is a reupload of a story I began about a year and a half ago. The first six chapters are completed and will be uploaded today. As for the story itself, I know this is an unusual pairing, but it came to me (ironically enough) after reading a Lee Fletcher/Drew story. I think Drew/Yew could've been something...**

* * *

Camp Half-Blood was in high spirits. It had been a week since Jason, Piper and Leo returned as heroes having successfully completed their quest to free Hera, and preparations were already underway for their next project, an airship that would take them across the country to the Roman camp, Camp Jupiter, in San Francisco. Annabeth was hopeful again, knowing she would see Percy soon, Leo worked tirelessly alongside his Hephaestus cabin mates, Jason was excited at the prospect of finally going back to familiar territory, and Piper had found the self-confidence she'd spent all her life searching for. Indeed, It seemed everyone at camp had something to be hopeful about. Everyone that is, except for one person.

Disgraced, alone, useless. That's what Drew Tanaka felt as she sat by the cold waters of Long Island Sound. Somehow, somewhere, she had lost control. Everything and everyone in her life seemed to have conspired against her. Well they had taken it all. Now she had nothing. She stared at her reflection in the water, she wasn't wearing makeup for the first time in years. Right now, she didn't want to be surrounded by anything that reminded her of Aphrodite, Cabin Ten, and especially Piper McLean. It seemed like a cruel joke from on high. After everything Drew had lost, for McLean to just walk in, go on a quest, come back a hero, get her dream guy, get the cabin, suddenly be friends with everyone...a part of Drew wanted to Piper to feel the pain she had felt. And another part of her felt guilty for wishing that on anyone.

In any case, Drew now spent as much time away from her cabin mates as possible. She knew Piper would just rub it in, which she guessed she deserved for the way she'd treated Piper, but that didn't mean she had to like it. And that wasn't even to mention Mitchell, Lacy and the others. Drew was miserable enough as it was without them collectively shaming her. She sighed as she ran a hand through her soft black hair. At least here, no one would disturb her. She could stay here until dinnertime and pretend she was somewhere else, anywhere else.

Piper stared at the frilly pink decor of Cabin Ten, hers to lead for the past week now. She should've been thrilled. Finally she had found acceptance and a home. She'd stood up to Drew Tanaka, who rarely showed her face unless she had to anymore. And her cabin mates celebrated he for that. But the thrill of victory had worn off, and now Piper couldn't help but feel something constantly nagging at her. Something about Drew. Every time she saw the older girl, she was absolutely miserble. She wouldn't talk to anyone, let alone make eye contact. Piper was seriously worried about her. Maybe she had gone too far. But she couldn't talk to her. Drew wouldn't let her get close. _And why should she?_ Piper thought_. I basically humiliated her in front of all our cabin mates. Yeah she kind of deserved it, but still..._

Piper tried to put the whole Drew situation out of her mind, and today had gotten off to a decent start until she saw a large group of campers clustered around the Big House. Chiron was standing in the doorway, pleading for them to settle down, to little effect. Piper glanced at her cabin mates.

"I'm gonna go check this out. Lacy's in charge till I get back, okay?" The others all nodded, and Piper dashed across the grassy field to the gathering crowd.

Chiron seemed to spot her immediately and gestured to her. The other campers each seemed to think he meant them, and they all started to rush towards the door.

"No! He means me, everyone else, just...um, stay out here!" The crowd calmed down. Charmspeak sure came in handy sometimes, Piper thought to herself. Of course, she wasn't one hundred percent certain that Chiron had meant her, but she had a feeling she was. Once Piper was inside, Chiron shut the door behind them. Immediately, Piper noticed the warmth coming from the blazing hearth, and sitting in an old-looking chair by the fire, bundled in blankets, was a boy she had never seen before. He had a messy mop of black hair that partially covered his dark brown eyes. His face looked sweaty and cold as ice at the same time. He didn't even acknowledge Piper at first, she wondered for a moment if he was awake at all, when his eyes suddenly locked on her.

"Who are you? You're not Drew," he snapped.

"Drew? I don't-"

"This is Piper McLean," Chiron said gently. "She is the head counselor of Cabin Ten, I believe she can help you."

"Wait, help him? I don't understand. What's going on?" Piper asked.

"We have much to discuss. For now, suffice it to say this is a former camper of sorts."

The boy nodded. "I'm Michael Yew. I'm looking for a girl, about your height, beautiful, sweet, kinda flirty. Her name's Drew Tanaka."


	2. Chapter 2

"Michael Yew." Piper said the name slowly and deliberately. She had a feeling this was a name she should know. Maybe someone Will Solace had mentioned once or twice? But she couldn't quite place her finger on it. The boy just offered a shrugging smile.

"New here?"

"Kind of," Piper admitted.

Chiron cleared his throat. "I think it's best for the two of you to speak in private. Would you like any refreshments Michael? Piper?" Both politely declined. "Very well. I will be outside should either of you need me." And with that, he trotted out, closing the door behind him.

"Want to sit down?" Michael asked. Piper obliged and sat in the chair across from his.

His eyes seemed to bore into her with pinpoint precision. If she had to guess, she would say he was an archer, or at least had some experience with a long range weapon. His face was a mask of weariness and despair, like someone who had gone through Tartarus and back only to find that what he was looking for wasn't there anymore. She wondered just where he had been, and how he'd been able to survive outside the camp.

"Chiron said you were a former camper."

"Yeah, you could say that."

"What happened? Did you leave?" Piper questioned.

Michael shook his head. "Not exactly. It's more like I died, at least, that's what everyone assumed. Chiron filled me in on everything that happened since I went missing. Then he said there was someone who could help me, I assumed he meant Drew..." he trailed off weakly.

"So you know her? Drew, I mean."

"Of course I know her, she's my girlfriend," Michael sad defensively. For a moment, there was a spark in his eyes. Then it faded as he slumped back in his chair. "At least, she was. I guess I can't have expected her to wait for me after all this time."

Piper wasn't sure she'd heard that right. "Your what?" she choked. The idea of Drew Tanaka having a steady boyfriend just seemed...so at odds with everything Piper knew about her. Hadn't Drew been all for the heartbreak ritual not that long ago? She decided. It to bring that up, at least not yet. She didn't want to hurt the guy or make him upset. He'd clearly been through a lot.

"Where were you before you got to camp?"

"Manhattan. We were fighting Kronos's army, defending Mount Olympus. That was over four months ago." Michael said sullenly. "One minute, I was leading my cabin into battle, the next, I was falling, then everything went dark. I woke up on dry land, but when I went back, everyone was gone. I knew I needed to get back to camp, but without my bow, without a ride, and with the weather, and monsters..." Michael visibly shivered. He pulled the blankets closer. "I guess I was gone much longer than I had thought."

"And Drew was waiting for you?"

"She was with the Aphrodite cabin, defending the Midtown tunnel." His face darkened as a thought suddenly seemed to enter his mind. "She's not...she's not dead, is she?"

Piper shook her head. "No, she's alive. She's here."

Michael looked very relieved. "Good. You know, sometimes just thinking of seeing her again got me through. So when can I see her?"

Piper hesitated. She'd been avoiding this, but eventually she had to tell him. About how Drew had been to her cabin mates, and how she's seemed horribly depressed for the past week. "Listen Michael...I don't really know how to tel you this. Drew...well, she might not be the person you remember. I know I haven't known her very long, but ever since I got here, she's-"

"What are you talking about?" Michael snapped. His eyes seemed to be shooting arrows through her heart. And not of the Cupid variety. "You just don't know her like I do."

"Michael please," she pleaded. It couldn't be good for him to be exerting all this energy. He still looked very weak and pale. Then she got an idea. How she could help Michael heal up and get some backstory about Drew at the same time. Drew wouldn't talk to her. But maybe Michael could provide some insights. "Tell me about Drew."

"What?"

"Tell me everything. From when you met her to your last memories with her. Once you've finished, I'll tell you what I know."

She tried not to put too much Charmspeak into her words, she didn't want to coerce him. But at the same time, she was curious. Michael brushed a clump of hair put of his eyes. "Fine. But as soon as we're done, I want you to take me to her."

"Deal," Piper agreed.

Michael ate a square of ambrosia as he shifted in his chair. "The first time we met...I was just fourteen. Percy, Annabeth and Clarisse had just come bsck with the Golden Fleece a couple weeks ago. I was at the archery range with my cabin..."

_The day was sunny and cloudless. All seemed well with Camp Half-Blood again now that the Fleece had been found and now reinforced the Camp's magic borders once again. Chiron was back, and barring some unforeseeable event, there wouldn't be any more quests this summer, so the campers were free to go back to regular training. In Cabin Seven, head counselor Lee Fletcher had decided they should use this time to help their newest member, Will Solace, with his archery, which he was struggling with. _

_"You may be more of a healer than an archer, so don't worry if it seems too challenging," Michael Yew had told the younger boy encouragingly. "Lee won't embarrass you too much," the junior counselor assured, though he knew for a fact Lee did have a mischievous side, as he would find out for himself later that day. _

_Lee had led them out to the range, they lined up in their usual order, Lee at the far end, Michael next to him, and the other boys in order of seniority. The exception was Will, who was lined up next to Michael so he could give the new kid archery tips. Things were going normally until Michael saw someone out of the comer would his eye. Normally, he could keep his aim laser focused, but something about this person seemed to demand his attention. He turned his head a fraction of an inch so he could get a better look. Two girls were walking towards the range. Michael recognized the first. Silena Beauregard, senior counselor of Cabin Ten. But it was the girl next to her that took his breath away. She looked young, maybe 12 or 13, yet cute or pretty didn't seem like the right word for her. She was truly beautiful. Her soft looking black hair fell gracefully past her shoulders, contrasting with her chocolate brown eyes. He guessed she was new, because he would've noticed someone like that sooner. _

_Silena stopped and said something to her, then she suddenly started dragging her towards the archery range. Michael nocked an arrow and fired, hitting the target dead center even while he was distracted. Having Apollo's accuracy sure could be a lifesaver sometimes. _

_"Hey, Lee!" Silena chirped gleefully. _

_Lee lowered his bow and regarded the girls for the first time. "Hey Silena." Then he turned to the other girl, "and...you must be new." _

_Silena beamed. "This is Drew Tanaka. She's only been here a few hours. And she really wanted to meet you guys." _

_Drew turned bright red at that last part. _

_"It's nice to meet you Drew, welcome to Camp Half-Blood. I'm Lee Fletcher." Lee smiled. Too late, Michael realized he hadn't quite gotten away with his earlier glance without notice. Lee put his arm around Michael and pushed him forward. "And this is my best pal, Michael Yew." _

_Now Michael was the one blushing madly. He awkwardly extended a hand. "Hi Drew." _

_"Hi Michael," she replied. The moment their hands touched, it was like pure electricity coursing through his whole body. _

_"It's great to have you here," he said sincerely. _

_"Thanks. It's great to be here." _

_"Well, we'd love to stay and chat boys, but I've gotta show Drew the rest of the camp," Silena said. Michael had hoped he would get more time with Drew, but the new girl seemed eager to move on herself. He sighed as he went back to archery. But he couldn't concentrate. He had a crush on the new girl._

* * *

Drew had a lot of time to think while she was out here sitting on the shore. Usually those thoughts just revolved around self-pity, anger, and sadness. Today though, for some reason, she found her thoughts turning to an old memory. Her first day at camp. The day she met two important figures in her life.

_Drew was used to people noticing and befriending her for her looks. In elementary, it hadn't been so bad. But by middle school, it seemed people were only interested in her for what her looks could do for them. When when she was 13, she'd gotten into her first real relationship, and to put it simply, the ending had not been pleasant. Yet again, Drew had been used and then thrown away when she was no longer useful. From then on, Drew wanted the feeling of being in love, but she was afraid of any kind of commitment._

_As bad as it was not having any real friends, her home life hadn't been much better. Her father had always been bitter over Drew's mother leaving them soon after she was born, and he usually ended up taking that out on Drew herself. He sent her to the best schools, she should be getting better grades. Forget about friends, he would tell her every time she brought up her situation at school. People are just a means to an end. You can't trust them for anything else. Drew didn't want to think she could ever end up as cynical as her dad, but things certainly weren't getting any better where she was right now. _

_When she arrived at Camp Half-Blood, she viewed it as a fresh, thought admittedly confusing start. Apparently she was a demigod, meaning her mother was in fact a Greek goddess. As soon as she arrived, she was taken to a tall, ominous looking wooden house, where she met a centaurs named Chiron and a pudgy faced man named Mr. D, short for Dionysus, god of wine. The names vaguely rang a bell, but she didn't know much about Greek mythology except that apparently it was real. And after the usual round of questions about how the gods could exist, why no one else could see this world of mythological creatures, why ancient deities would have children with mortals etc., it was time for her to tour the camp, though Drew didn't know who would volunteer to do that. _

_Just then, someone knocked on the door. Chiron opened it, and in walked a tall, graceful looking girl with long brown curls and sky blue eyes. She exuded confidence, yet also kindness. _

_"Hey Chiron, I noticed-" then she saw Drew. "You're new here, right?" _

_Drew nodded. "Yeah." _

_"Silena, would you please show Drew around camp?" Chiron asked the girl. _

_"I'd love to. So your name's Drew?" Silena asked._

_"Mm hm, Drew Tanaka." _

_The girl smiled. "I'm Silena Beauregard, it's a pleasure to meet you." _

_Drew immediately found herself admiring Silena. She seemed to have a glowing aura about her, and a genuiness that few people had ever shown Drew. They'd started with the cabins. Silena told Drew that once her godly parent claimed her, she would be assigned a cabin. For now, she would stay in the Hermes cabin. Drew asked if Silena had any ideas ablut who it could be. _

_"I have my suspicions." she said coyly. _

_"But you're not going to tell me." _

_Silena shook her head and Drew pouted. The older girl laughed. _

_"My mom's Aphrodite. If there's one thing we love, it's a healthy dose of drama and tension." _

_Drew wasn't sure about that, but she let Silena lead her around the U shape line of cabins while she explained what god each cabin was for and named some notable occupants of each. Drew caught Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Clarisse La Rue and a few others. By this point, she wasnt really paying attention, because she had noticed the archers. They were over half a dozen boys, all lined up and firingbtbeir arrows in sync. The summer sun cast them in a golden light, they almost seemed to actually be a part of the sunshine itself. She stood atill for a moment, unfortunately, Silena noticed. _

_"Apollo boys, they sure are dreamy, huh?" she sighed. _

_"Um, kind of, I guess." _

_"Want me to introduce you?" _

_"No, you don't have to-" but Silena was already dragging her towards the range. _

_"Hey, Lee!" she greeted cheerfully. _

_The first in line, a tall boy with short blond hair and blue eyes, turned towards them. "Hey Silena," he said. Then his eyes moved onto her. "And...you must be new here." _

_Before Drew could say anything, Silena was already introducing her. "This is Drew Tanaka, she's only been here a few hours. And she really wanted to meet you guys," she said excitedly. Drew turned red as a tomato. Silena just had to say that last part. Now they would probably think she was just some fangirl or something. Lee regarded her again and smiled. _

_"It's nice to meet you Drew, welcome to Camp Half-Blood. I'm Lee Fletcher." Suddenly he threw his around the shoulders of the boy next to him and pushed him forward. "And this is my best pal, Michael Yew." _

_Michael looked absolutely mortified, just like she'd felt a moment ago. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. He was shorter than Lee, with messy black hair and dark brown eyes. He was sort of wiry, not especially muscular or anything. And yet Drew felt an attraction towards him. And it scared her. _

_"Hi Drew," Michael said awkwardly, extending his hand._

_"Hi Michael." Drew reached out and took it. The feeling as their hands touched was so different from other boys she'd had crushes on. It was more powerful, almost overwhelming. She quickly pulled away. _

_Michael shuffled nervously. "It's great to have you here." _

_He sounded sincere when he said it. Drew wanted to believe him. "Thanks. It's great to be here."_

_Silena saved her. "Well we'd love to stay and chat boys, but I've gotta show Drew the rest of the camp." Drew was relieved when Silena led her away from the archery range. But no matter where she went from now on, as long as she was at camp, she knew she couldn't completely avoid seeing Michael. Or deny the fact that despite her promises to herself that she would not get into another serious relationship, the feelings she tried to bury could not stay hidden forever. _


	3. Chapter 3

_So this is an old story by now I guess..._

_Anyways, I wrote the first half of this chapter several months ago and the second half this weekend, so I may have lost my own plot a bit. (Hopefully not...)_

_I also realize that the first couple of chapters presented the same events from both Michael Yew and Drew Tanaka's point of view, and this chapter is only in Yew's POV. I'm not sure yet if I want to go back to having both POV of the same events in one large chapter, or dividing them between two separate chapters (like a part 1/part 2 thing) or just alternating in a linear fashion like Riordan does. Feel free to leave suggestions._

* * *

Michael Yew took a long pause. In moments like this, with heavy blankets draped on him, sharp features illuminated in a fiery light, brown eyes downcast and sullen, he really looked like a grizzled war veteran rather than the teenager he was. Across from him, Piper McLean hesitated, a question forming then dying before leaving her lips. She didn't want to get Yew any more upset than he already was.

"You're thinking I've got it all wrong," the older teen said quietly, "I can see it in your eyes. But I knew her, you have to understand that."

"I wasn't thinking that," Piper replied softly. "But I was wondering...I mean, what happened next?"

"Not much for a few months after that. Summer ended, all the part timers left for the school year. That included Lee Fletcher and my other half-siblings. I was the only full-time camper in Cabin Seven."

"Drew was a full-time camper too?" Piper guessed.

"Yeah."

It was October, meaning the autumn was in full swing, even in the climate controlled area of Camp Half-Blood. With the training regimen having been somewhat relaxed due to there being far fewer campers during these months, those who remained were given occasional free days, which they often used to socialize or explore the camp in general. Today was just such a day. Michael Yew's idea of a day off was giving archery tips to Dryads, not only did it allow him to do what he did best, but it also helped the war effort. With the way things were going lately, the camp needed to bolster its reserves, which included the normally peaceful wood nymphs. They'd been running drills for about half an hour when Yew noticed someone walking towards the range. To his surprise, it was Drew Tanaka. They'd hardly spoken since their first encounter on this same range over three months ago.

That wasn't to say he hasn't heard plenty of things about the new camper. She'd quickly picked up a reputation as a rather flirty person, and many of the others were quick to conclude that she was just a typical valley girl, vanity and all. Michael always believed there was more to her than that. So why was the simple act of talking to her so difficult for he, who had faced monsters in battle with fierce determination? Siena Beauregard could probably answer that. And totally embarrass me in the process, he mentally added.

"Hey guys," Drew said. Her long brown hair was styled perfectly as always, her eyes were like kaeidoscopes, appearing to constantly change color, each more dazzling than the last.

"Hi, Drew," Yew replied. He hoped his voice sounded normal, and not as nervous as he felt.

"Do you mind if I join?"

That definitely wasn't what Yew had expected to hear. Since when was Drew into archery?

"You want to practice with us?" he asked, making sure that was what she was asking.

"Yeah...I mean, if that's alright with you?" Drew suddenly looked very nervous herself. Michael winced, he hadn't meant to come off as condescending.

"It's fine, I just...well, we should get you set up."

A quick trip to the armory later, Drew was equipped with a bow and a quiver of arrows. She was currently struggling, without much success, to get one arrow off.

"Okay everyone, class is dismissed early today," Yew said. The nymphs, ever light on their feet, raced to the armory to put away their equipment. Soon the only ones remaining were Michael and a dejected looking Drew. The Aphrodite camper started to go in the same direction as the Dryads. But Michael had sent the Dryads home early for a reason, he had an idea.

"Wait, Drew."

She looked back at him.

"How would you feel about a private lesson?"

"I wouldn't want to waste your time," Drew said.

"And you won't be. I want to help."

And that's how they spent the next couple of hours. Michael showed Drew everything from how to properly hold a bow, to the correct posture, to nocking arrows, to firing at targets. By the time the session was over, Drew was able to load and fire, albeit not very accurately to say the least. Still, for one day, it was progress.

"You did great today, I just have one question," Michael said as he set his bow aside and sat on the cool grass. Drew sat next to him.

"What is it?"

"Why did you all of a sudden decide to get into archery?"

Drew suddenly looked flustered. "Oh, um...I guess I just wanted to prove to everyone that I'm more than a pretty face."

"You are," Michael caught himself too late. "More than a pretty face I mean."

"Many of the others don't seem to think so."

"Well that's just because they haven't tried to get to know you."

"What about you?"

"I'd love to get to know you," again, Michael had to catch himself. "How about another archery lesson?"

"Do you think there's hope for me?"

"I'll make a master archer of you yet," Michael quipped. Drew laughed softly, it was a melodious sound, one he wanted to hear again and again.

"Then I'd love to."

* * *

It was mid-November now, and in the month and a half since that impromptu archery lesson, Michael and Drew had become good friends. Unfortunately, while Yew's cabin mates had taken the winter off, most of the Aphrodite cabin, only the gods knew why, had decided to hang around, so of course it didn't take long for the rumor mills to start churning. Normally he didn't have to worry about this kind of attention, Lee Fletcher was the attractive one, Yew the quiet, unassuming one in the background. Now he knew how his friend felt, constantly under the glare of watchful eyes every time he and Drew interacted. He certainly didn't want people getting the wrong idea about them. After all, they didn't really like each other that way...right?

He tried not to think about it. Lee had often advised him, usually from personal experience, that relationships weren't always what they were cracked up to be. "Trust me," he would say, "you gotta hold out for the right one".

Without his fellow Apollo campers, Michael was now essentially in charge of all nightly campfire sing along duties. He wasn't nearly the most talented musician or singer in his cabin, but goodwill was high amongst this small group, even in the Ares campers whom he didn't always get along with, and it worked out.

* * *

One December night, after the sing along was over, Michael was sitting alone roasting marshmallows, when to his great surprise, Drew walked over and sat next to him. While it was true that winter rules were generally more lax, in all the campfires they'd had over the past few months, she had never moved away from her cabin mates. And the extremely shy Drew he had met two summers ago never would have done it. He slowly allowed himself to look at her. The firelight illuminated everything about her that he, despite his attempts to avoid it, found stunningly beautiful. Her curled jet black hair, her deep brown eyes, her warm complexion, her shy smile, that had never changed.

He tried to think of something to say, anything. But words eluded him, and so they shared the moment in silence, making s'mores with the other campers, all the while drawing knowing glances from Aphrodite campers. For the first time though, Yew found himself not really minding. One sideways glance at the perfectly content Drew told him that she didn't seem to mind either.

* * *

The next morning started out with the sun making a crash landing in Camp Half-Blood. Apollo's sun chariot that is. That was odd, gods didn't usually just drop in to visit camp unless...unless there was some serious news, usually of the bad variety. All the campers present knew enough to know that, including Michael, who raced outside along with the others to check out the scene.

Slowly, Apollo's passengers, still undoubtedly shaken by the hard landing, climbed off his smoking bus/chariot. First the sun god himself, followed by Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace, Grover Underwood, a scrawny younger boy, and a group of females whom he had never met but recognized from his studies as the Hunters of Artemis. Something didn't feel right. What was Apollo doing here with the Hunters of Artemis? Who was the other kid? And why did Percy, Thalia and Grover all look so distressed, even grief stricken?

Chiron was already speaking to the group, and from the weary look on his face, the answers to those questions were, if not the worst case, then pretty close to it.

Michael was so distracted that for several seconds he hadn't even felt Drew standing beside him, similarly transfixed. Finally, Apollo departed alone in his chariot, leaving Chiron to shepherd the rest into camp. The Hunters, clearly in no mood to chat, immediately began moving in to Artemis's normally vacant cabin. Percy, Thalia and Grover, all still seemingly shellshocked, followed Chiron into the Big House, along with the mysterious younger demigod . Who knew what they were talking about in there. Like most campers, Michael Yew was not usually in the inner circle, even among cabin leaders, meaning he was often in the dark until the last moment. Michael didn't really know Percy, they had only occasionally interacted with each other in passing, but he knew enough about him to know what hurt him the most, losing someone he cared about.

Dinner that night was a tense affair, as might be expected given the honored guests of the evening. It was no secret that the Hunters didn't care too much for Camp Half-Blood, and for some campers, the feeling was mutual. But the real tension was between Thalia Grace and the lieutenant of the Hunters, Zoe Nightshade. Those two simply despised each other for reasons that Michael suspected went a lot further back than anything that had happened recently.

After dinner, Chiron announced that there would be a special capture the flag match between the campers and the Hunters, apparently a tradition that was observed whenever the Hunters happened to be in town. It didn't seem to be much of a match to Michael. He knew enough about the Hunters to know that they were all highly talented archers, rivaling the aim of any child of Apollo, and incredibly agile in close range combat. By contrast, the depleted campers could only muster, aside from Yew, a few Ares kids, a child of Demeter, and about half the Aphrodite cabin. The campers had a couple of secret weapons though. One was Percy and Thalia, children of two of the big three, they alone, with the right coordination, could probably win this match. The other was the Aphrodite cabin. The Hunters had found the one line you just didn't cross with an Aphrodite kid, true love, and walked all over it by constantly singing the praises of eternal maidenhood and deriding the Aphrodite campers as childish. Silena Beauregard assured the other campers that her cabin was spoiling for this fight.

Soon the plan was set. Percy was to keep a portion of the campers back in defense, Thalia would attempt to take the Hunters by surprise from one flank, Michael and the Aphrodite kids would distract and draw the Hunters' fire from the other.

"We should send a vanguard to take out any possible sentries the Hunters may have posted to guard their flank," Michael advised the group. "I'm the only one here with any training in long range combat, I'll go."

"All right, then I'll-"

"I'll go with him."

Silena looked back in surprise, Drew Tanaka volunteering for something like this? That was strange to say the least, but she nodded her acquiescence.

"Okay then, Michael and Drew will be the vanguard. It's up to you to clear the path for us."

Michael ducked behind the tree just in time, Drew following closely behind. They'd found the Hunters' lone, unsuspecting sentry. Michael readied his bow, loading a non-lethal flat tipped arrow, standard issue for capture the flag matches. But before he could take aim, Drew's cool hand touched his arm.

"Can I take the shot?" She whispered.

Michael looked at Drew skeptically.

"I've been practicing! I can do this."

He still wasn't completely sold, until he saw the look in her eyes, she was absolutely sincere and determined. It was a risky move, it might cost them the match, he was the best archer in Camp Half-Blood, it would be very easy to just take the shot himself, he was used to working alone. But maybe it wouldn't hurt to trust someone else for a change. He quietly handed the bow to Drew.

"Wait until she looks away," Michael whispered as they peeked around the tree.

The sentry was disinterestedly examining her hunting knife, suddenly a faint rustling noise from the forest seemed to catch her ear. "Who's there?" She held her weapon in a defensive posture, and for a precious few moments, forgot about watching for the enemy.

"Now!"

Drew stood up and nocked an arrow, exactly as Michael had once shown her, and let loose. The sentry turned just in time to receive a direct hit to the forehead. Michael softly dashed over to the fallen enemy, Drew following closely behind. He checked the Huntress for a pulse, they didn't need any deaths, accidental or otherwise, on their hands.

She'll be fine," he said, then he conducted a quick scan and determined that the path was clear.

Now assured they were safe from imminent attack, Michael allowed his guard to go down and unabashed excitement replaced his usual stoicism.

"Drew, you did it! That was amazing, I can't even believe-"

Before he could stop himself, he realized he was embracing her. He quickly pulled back, an embarrassed smile on his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- you know-"

"I couldn't have done it without you," Drew said. Her smile was warmer and brighter than Apollo's sun chariot.

Michael knew this was a pretty bad time, they were literally in the middle of a capture the flag match, what if someone saw? What if Silena and the other Aphrodite kids had decided to move forward without waiting for the signal? They'd never hear the end of it. But right now, all of those worries seemed meaningless. And as their lips met in a tender kiss, for just one moment, they seemed to vanish altogether.

* * *

The rest of the match seemed to go by in a blur. While Michael, Drew, and the Aphrodite cabin were engaged in battle with a small group of Hunters, Percy had apparently decided on his own to try to take the Hunters' flag, leaving the campers' own flag inadequately defended. The Hunters managed to overwhelm the campers and take the flag and the victory.

Michael was still too busy thinking about the moment with Drew in the forest to be upset. Thalia in the other hand, was absolutely furious at Percy for going off-script. It looked like the two of them were about to try and kill each other when suddenly the ancient, mummified Oracle of Delphi appeared before them. Everyone fell silent, this had never happened before. The Oracle hovered over to Zoe Nightshade and uttered something that sounded an awful lot like a prophecy. Michael had a feeling the Hunters wouldn't be staying long after all.

The prophecy had apparently called for five to go on a quest to rescue the goddess Artemis, a combination of campers and Hunters. The debate over who was going to go was, as expected, heated. Percy was practically inconsolable about being excluded from the group (not the first such outburst Michael had witnessed, but unlike most of them, he had a feeling that this wasn't just about some desire for glory, Percy seemed to have a deeply personal stake in it). The younger demigod, who Michael had learned was called Nico di Angelo, was also upset that his sister, Bianca, a Huntress, was going and leaving him behind. Nonetheless, with this order of business apparently concluded, Michael decided this was a good time to retire to his cabin for the night.

He drifted off, thinking not of the arrival of the Hunters, or the remarkable capture the flag game, or even the unprecedented prophecy issued for the first time on the green grass of Camp Half-Blood and the imminent quest. Instead, he found himself replaying those few moments he'd had alone with Drew Tanaka, the girl he'd tried so hard not to like. Because he couldn't trust a daughter of Aphrodite, because he couldn't afford to start a relationship while a war was going on, because he had no idea what you were supposed to do in a situation like this. And yet that kiss continued to vividly replay in his mind as sleep finally overtook him.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: Sorry for the slightly shorter chapter this time. I just figured it might get boring to read the same details again from a different POV. The next chapter will be longer (in fact I wrote the majority of the next chapter before I wrote this one, so hopefully it won't be so long between now and the next update). In any event, thank you dedicated readers for sticking around, I hope y'all enjoy, and please don't hesitate to leave a review._

* * *

It turned out there wasn't much to do when you were an Aphrodite camper staying year round. Most of the others were gone, so there were less people to pair off, less potential makeover recipients...

Needless to say, Drew Tanaka would probably have avoided staying here if she could, but there wasn't much to go back to. An alcoholic, bitter, borderline abusive father who saw her as a failure, another prep school where people saw her as an object instead of a human being? No thanks. So Camp Half-Blood it was. Fortunately, some of her cabin mates, including Silena Beauregard, were also year rounders, so at least there'd be some familiar faces. Michael Yew was also apparently a year rounder, though she tried, unconvincingly, to tell herself that that fact was irrelevant.

"Hm, Channing Tatum? I approve." Silena was conducting the daily inspection, and everyone knew you got higher marks for good fashion sense. The recipient of Silena's praise, a girl with a southern drawl called Lena, grinned in reply.

"It's a first edition!" She said proudly of the poster.

Silena nodded as she checked something off and moved on to the next camper. "Hm...I don't recognize this one."

"Tristan McLean, he's gonna be the next big thing, trust me," the owner said confidently.

Silena chewed on her pen cap, as if contemplating the image of the handsome actor. "With those looks, I wouldn't doubt it. I'll give it marks for originality."

This was just another normal morning for the Aphrodite cabin, it had been a couple of months now since the break had begun, and the silence of the typcially robust camp was both refreshing and tedium-inducing. Drew found it all a bit too quiet. She had spent the last summer trying to move on from whatever she had felt for Michael Yew, it would only end in heartbreak anyways, that was the only truth love had ever shown her. So she decided to turn the tables. From now on, she would be the one to end it, she wouldn't let anyone get too close, she could have the thrill and not have to deal with the aftermath. It was so much easier that way. But now...but now that she was alone with her thoughts, she realized that no matter what she did, she simply couldn't shake whatever that feeling had been. No matter how deeply she would bury it, it would find its way to the surface again. And it would remain there, in her heart, a presence she couldn't ignore. Then one day, she finally gave in.

There was nothing to it, she rationalized to herself. _Just a camper asking another camper for some lessons, that's all. _The Apollo cabin had archery practice at 11am, every morning, all she had to do was go and- _and what? Ask to join? When I've never touched a bow in my life? When the only thing I'll accomplish is my own humiliation? This is such a terrible idea- _

But it was too late, they had already seen her, she couldn't turn and run now.

* * *

The_ memory came to Drew as clearly formed as if it had happened yesterday. The feelings of uncertainty she had felt then...the nervous anticipation, the fear of rejection. But Michael Yew...he'd treated her differently, saw through her somehow. She was a hopeless archer of course, she couldn't even load an arrow properly. But Michael took the time to personally show her, it was a small gesture, but whether he knew it or not, it meant the world to her. Where she came from, people didn't exactly help each other out of the kindness of their heart. _

_"Attachment breeds weakness. Every person knows this, they will take advantage of you if you do not do the same to them first." One of Keisuke Tanaka's favorite sayings. Drew had once dismissed that, but now she was convinced...except...except she couldn't explain Michael Yew._

* * *

"Silena, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Drew. Anything."

Drew stared down at her fingers nervously. "Well, um...it's about love."

"I see," Silena replied with a knowing look. They were alone in the Aphrodite cabin, everyone else was out giving the other cabins a winter makeover.

"Anyone in particular on your mind?"

"No," Drew blurted a little too quickly. "Just...in general."

"Love," Silena said with a small laugh. "You know, a lot of people think its like a Hallmark movie - and don't get me wrong, I love Hallmark movies - but real world relationships are complicated and messy. Sometimes two people have something, but circumstances get in the way, or they have things in their past that continue to haunt them. And sometimes...well sometimes every shred of common sense is telling you that you shouldn't, but you do anyways."

"Like you and Beckendorf," Drew hadn't meant to say that out loud, but Silena didn't berate her, instead she just sighed wistfully.

"You're perceptive, that's a gift from mom I guess. There's an old saying...that you shouldn't mix love and war. I mean, look at Aphrodite and Ares. They loved each other, but it was wrong, but...it wasn't."

Drew had a confused look on her face. "I don't get it."

Silena couldn't help but laugh at that, as though she had once had the same reaction herself. "The point is, love has inherent risk, and the higher the stakes, the greater the extremes."

"What should I do?"

Silena smiled, though her final thought seemed almost distant, as though she were talking more to herself than Drew. "Follow your heart."

* * *

_If Drew could have purged any of her memories, it would be those of Silena Beauregard. To think that she had ever seen her as a friend and mentor, to think that all that time, she had been serving Kronos...and yet Silena had been a huge part of her life at that point, she had been the first one to welcome her to camp, her first real friend, the only person Drew felt comfortable confiding in. She couldn't keep a smirk from creeping on her face as she thought of how Silena had reacted when the Hunters of Artemis came to Camp Half-Blood._

"Can you believe these people? They think they're sooo righteous just because they stay single for centuries. Well excuse me, mother superior, but some people actually like to live life..."

Drew had never seen Silena this angry before. She didn't know much about the Hunters of Artemis, but apparently they had all taken oaths to remain maidens forever in exchange for immortality. Now that she thought of it, they had seemed rather snobbish, but still-

"Oh don't worry, this is a normal reaction," the guy standing next to her, a son of Aphrodite named Paul, said assuredly.

"It is?" Drew replied uncertainly.

"Yep," Paul said with a grin. "It would've been several months before you got here. We were taking a mythology class in the Athena cabin, and that was the first time we learned about the Hunters of Artemis. Silena was so mad she left without finishing the lesson."

"That's right," Silena said, revealing she had been listening all along. "And that's why we're going to play capture the flag this evening, then we'll show them."

"We are?" Another camper said in surprise, "but we almost never play capture the flag. You know we're all terrible with weaponry."

"Maybe so, but come on! Don't you want to prove them wrong? Think of someone in your life, anyone, that you love, the Hunters are saying that doesn't mean anything. If you won't do it for anything else, do it for that person."

Drew knew Silena was talking about Beckendorf.

"Hey Drew, tell them I'm right," Silena said, looking for support from a fellow camper. "You have someone like that, don't you?"

_No_, Drew thought, because it was true. She had taken her father's words to heart. No attachments, no letting anyone in. Only...what if there was an exception? What if someone had forced their way in, despite all her efforts?

"Yeah...I do."

"See?" Silena exclaimed triumphantly, "Now lets get ready to kick some Hunter hiney!"

And for once, everyone in cabin Ten raised a proud cheer of "for Aphrodite!"

* * *

_The game had gone poorly of course. Percy Jackson charged the enemy base, leaving the camper's defenses exposed, which the lead huntress, Zoe Nightshade, wasted no time in exploiting, claiming victory for the Hunters. Afterwards, Percy and Thalia Grace had nearly come to blows, at least until the oracle of Delphi somehow came down from the attic to give a prophecy. The truth was, for Drew most of these events had gone by in a blur. _

_The clearest memories from that day would always be the time spent with Michael Yew. How she'd found the courage to volunteer to go with him into the forest, how she'd finally put those archery lessons to good use...and how they'd kissed, in the middle of a game of capture the flag, terrible timing? Yes. But Silena Beauregard was right about one thing. Drew followed her heart, and the moment her lips met Michael's she knew it was the right decision. Because for that one, sweet, moment in time, the world belonged to them. _

_Drew's felt her cheeks flush from the all too vivid memory. That would have been a perfect ending. A Hallmark ending. But she supposed Silena had been right about another thing, relationships really were messy and complicated. This was nowhere close to the end, and as for what would happen the next summer...well that was another memory that Drew wished to erase. _


	5. Chapter 5

_Well here we are, folks, the first major battle. This chapter sounded a lot better in my head to be perfectly honest, but I hope y'all enjoy nonetheless._

* * *

"Listen Piper, I...I don't think we should go on any further today."

"What? But why?"

"This next part's just too painful, all right?"

Piper looked into the boy's sullen eyes with what she hoped was human sincerity and not charmspeak. "You're holding something inside. You know I've found it always helps to share it with someone else."

Michael Yew laughed, though it was a hollow, tired sound. "That's what Drew told me the day after it happened."

"The day after what happened?"

"A huge battle, that happened mere yards from where we stand now. We were fighting for our survival..." Michael stopped, uncertain if he wanted to continue. Piper nodded encouragingly. He took a deep sigh and plodded onward.

"It was the greatest collection of demigods and monsters in one place since World War II. The Battle of the Labyrinth, that's what we called it later on. That damned Daedalus..."

* * *

_Two years earlier_

"How many are we expecting?"

"Hundreds, maybe more."

"You really think we'll...you know, have to fight Kronos?"

Lee Fletcher gave his perpetually worried second in command a pat on the back. "If he shows, we'll give him a taste of Apollo's medicine...uh, you know, the bad kind of medicine, not the good kind."

That seemed to loosen Michael Yew up a bit, as he laughed at Fletcher's corny joke. The two of them were performing an inspection of their fellow Apollo archers, making sure they were in optimal position for when the moment arrived. Since he was still the new kid in the cabin and a mediocre archer, they'd also decided to invite Will Solace along to show him how it's done.

In all his time at Camp Half-Blood, Michael had never seen it so totally and completely armed to the teeth. All the cabins had gone all out. Hephaustus kids had the labyrinth entrance wired with so many traps that, if they were lucky, the cursed tunnel might just collapse in on itself and take the Titan army with it. Clarisse had Ares running formation drills. Annabeth Chase and her Athena cabin mates had a command post set up where they were presumably gaming out strategies. Hermes were making themselves useful and providing much needed reinforcement to the shorthanded Apollo archers. They had even managed to convince some Dryads to join as well.

"How long can we hold them off?" Will asked, bringing Michael back to the present moment.

"We can't. All we can do now is pray for a good casket," Michael replied half-jokingly.

"Hey, we may not match them in numbers, but we have twice as much in spirit. And if all else fails, Percy can just win this one for us by himself." Lee said in his best attempt at a lighthearted tone.

_Even Percy Jackson may be no match for what's coming. _Michael decided it would be best to keep the thought to himself. No need to cause any further worry for Will.

Eventually they reached a prearranged spot in the woods where they were supposed to meet up with Travis Stoll, the counselor of the Hermes cabin, the co-leader of the archery battalion today along with Apollo counselor Lee Fletcher. Seeing as for now there was nothing to do but wait, Michael looked back again at the scene unfolding out in the open ground where the main battle would be fought. Everything seemed in constant motion, demigods running this way and that, shouting and receiving directions, the gleam of the sunlight on bronze armor and weaponry, and then he caught a familiar gaze and time slowed again. It was her.

All these months later, whenever he saw Drew Tanaka, the only thing he could think of was that kiss in the woods. He knew it wasn't right. He knew you shouldn't mix love and war. And he knew, he knew that under no circumstamces could you trust an Aphrodite girl to be faithful. That was the truth he had known before he met Drew, so why did it all feel so meaningless now? Whatever Drew was doing, it was driving him mad.

"Hey guys." Travis Stoll's distinctive voice snapped Michael out of his thoughts. _We have a mission to accomplish._

"You're late." Lee remarked flatly, as though this was not the first time.

"Look, Connor totally set me up. Get this, he set my alarm clock to go off _two hours_ early. I have no idea how he did it. I specifically asked Beckendorf to make me an alarm clock that Connor couldn't mess around with. You see, this other time-"

"Story time can wait, Trav," Lee interrupted impatiently.

"Okay, sorry. Anyways, uh...the Hermes cabin is in attack position, we have Dryads to fill in the blind spots."

"Good. Is there anything else you need?"

"Yeah, we need a medic, preferably a good one."

Lee turned to the youngest member of the Apollo cabin. "You're looking at the best right here. Okay, Solace, you're on point."

"Me? But-"

"You'll do fine," Lee said reassuringly.

Michael had an objection too. "Hold on, are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure. They need him more than we do."

What Lee was proposing made logical sense. The Hermes campers were not as skilled as the Apollo kids in archery, and the Dryads were even less reliable, they had only received emergency training in the past few days. It made sense then, to deploy the best medic with the more vulnerable group who had a greater chance of fielding serious injuries. Still, something felt wrong to Michael, like they were making a decision that could alter more than just strategic outcomes. But he raised no further objection, and Will went off with Travis Stoll to his side of the woods.

* * *

"Okay, we're alone now. Tell me about her."

"About who?" Michael replied innocently.

Lee shook his head. "There's no point trying to play dumb, I know you too well for that. What's she like?"

Michael hesitated. He'd never told anyone about his feelings for Drew. He thought about lying again, but finally said, "She's beautiful."

Lee shrugged. "All children of Aphrodite are beautiful. You know, I was watching this one old flick with Leonardo DiCaprio in it, and- um, actually, never mind, go on."

"She's not like the others, Lee. She's thoughtful, and intelligent, and funny, she has a big heart. It's like there's this whole other side of her that she only shows me."

"Yeah? And what makes you so special?"

"That's what I keep asking myself."

"Well stop asking yourself, because I'm gonna tell you now. You know all those things you just listed? They describe you too. I saw that from the night at the campfire when I found out you were my half-brother. And she sees it too, she'd be blind not to."

"So what do I do?"

"You ask her out, of course."

"You say it like it's so easy," Michael said, feeling more flustered the longer this conversation went on.

"It's easier than you think. And I'm going to hold you to it. No matter what happens today, if we survive this, you ask her out, okay?"

Michael never got a chance to respond to Lee's question, because at that very moment, the first of the Titan army burst out of the entrance, setting off massive blasts from the traps laid by Hephaestus. The Battle of the Labyrinth had begun.

* * *

"Archers, _fire_!" On Lee Fletcher's command, the archers in the Apollo cabin unloaded a volley of arrows down on the smoke filled entrance. At the same time, the Hermes campers and Dryads did the same from the other end of the forest. It wasn't meant to be a precision volley, it was just supposed to take out as many of the enemy as possible to make things easier for the other cabins.

"Yew! Get up there and lead those archers!"

"You got it!" Michael replied, and he nimbly ascended a nearby tree so he could be nearer to his fellow campers.

The monsters were still coming, giants, dracaenae, hellhounds, and - traitors be damned - some turncoat half-bloods, and there was no sign that the campers' early traps had done much to slow the Titan army down. Michael called for another volley, then another. Arrows rained from the sky, each finding their target with Apollonian accuracy. But with each wave they defeated, a new one emerged.

Some of the dracaenae managed to get around their frontline, the camp would have been totally defenseless, but that mysterious demigod, Nico di Angelo, managed to fend them off by...had he just summoned a bunch of skeletons to fight for him? Normally something that extraordinary would have stopped Michael in his tracks, but he was in combat mode, single minded, he couldn't afford distractions when he had an archery division to lead.

And so the battle raged on. Now a part of the forest was burning, threatening the naiad spirits' homes, but fortunately Percy Jackson managed to put it out just in time. _Thank the gods we have a son of Poseidon on our side. _There was Tyson the cyclops, fighting off one of those pesky Laistrygonians with his sheer strength. And there was Chiron, standing like a graceful statue in the middle of it all, calmly firing arrows with pinpoint accuracy.

As if that weren't enough to take in, now some of the Laistrygonians were trying to knock down the trees where Michael and the other Apollo campers were posted with their massive wooden clubs. Branches shook and leaves trembled with each thunderous blow. Some couldn't hold on, they plummeted to an uncertain fate below. Others either tried to dig in or scattered elsewhere. One giant tried to charge at Michael's tree, he shot it in the eye and watched it disintegrate into golden dust.

Just when things seemed back under control though, with perfect timing as ever, catastrophe struck. Michael had never seen anything like this monster, although he had heard stories. The snakes in its hair reminded him of Medusa, but somehow this creature was even more terrifying. It was half human, half dragon, with a tail like that of a scorpion, and razor sharp claws for hands, each of which wielded a poison laced scimitar. At the waist, where the two halves met, the body seemed to become almost fluid, and various animal heads protruded from it. It was like something out of a nightmare, the kind that kept kids up at night, afraid of the monster in their closet. _Imagine having that thing in your closet, _Michael thought darkly. The monster wasted no time obliterating the command post the Athena cabin had set up, which left Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase to challenge the monster alone. They had almost no hope of winning, Michael realized, no matter how good they might be. He thought about ordering the archers to lay down some air cover for Percy and Annabeth, but just then, catastrophe struck- again.

* * *

A cry of commotion from near the Apollo side of the forest gave it away. While the campers had been cowed by the new monster's arrival, a squad of draecanae and giants had taken advantage and were now in position to outflank the camp's defenses, with potentially fatal consequences. The left flank was the weaker of the two, manned only by the Aphrodite and Demeter cabins. _Drew's in there_, the panicked thought struck him like a blast from Zeus' Master Bolt. _They won't last five minutes, they'll be overrun, monsters take no prisoners- _

Michael knew the correct procedure for a situation like this was to have his archers redirect their fire at the new threat, but what good was procedure when Drew was about to die? There weren't enough archers to stop the invaders from this distance, but there might be enough demigods for a rescue mission...

"Apollo! On me, let's give them some ground support!"

Michael quickly scurried down from his tree, where he found Lee Fletcher and a half dozen Apollo campers waiting.

"What's going on?" Lee asked.

"Their outflanking our lines, we have to protect them!" Michael replied, which was true, but in reality he knew why he was doing this, and maybe Lee suspected it as well, because he just nodded his accedence.

"You heard what he said, use your daggers or pick up whatever weapon you can find, let's show these monsters how Apollo takes care of business!"

All of them raised a rousing chant of "For Apollo!", then charged into the fray.

Many an armchair quarterback would have been quick to point out the flaws in Michael's judgement. The Apollo campers were multitalented and feisty, but they weren't Ares, hand to hand combat and swordplay did not come naturally to them. Nevertheless, it was the only course of action that had any chance against a enemy force that powerful. Michael picked up a sword dropped by a deceased demigod, he hoped those lessons in the fencing arena would pay off now...

Silena Beauregard was marshalling her cabin, who mostly looked terrified of the oncoming enemy, when the would-be reinforcements arrived.

"Lee, Michael? I didn't expect to see you two here, and you've brought your cabin mates too?"

"Ah, I believe the words you're looking for are "thank you", Lee quipped sarcastically.

"Ha ha," Silena retorted. "Well...we appreciate any help we can get at this point."

"Don't thank me, it was all his idea," Lee jabbed his thumb in Michael's direction.

At that moment, he caught Drew's eyes, she was standing next to Silena, an unreadable gaze in her eyes. _Does she know? Suspect perhaps? Maybe I had it read all wrong, maybe they had it under control all along and I overreacted- _

Then she smiled at him, as if to send a silent "thank you", and he knew he'd made the right choice.

"Don't look now, but the enemy's closing in," Lee warned. "Remember, holding the line is important, but we also need to stay alive, let's try to advance or retreat as a unit."

"You got it," Silena replied. Katie Gardner nodded as well to indicate that she understood.

And so it was that this ragtag group of demigods would be quite possibly the last line of defense for Camp Half-Blood. And even if they somehow succeeded, there was no guarantee that Percy and Anmabeth would had defeated their fiendish opponent on the other side of the battlefield-

But Michael knew they couldn't afford to worry about anything but the fight in front of them. He looked to his side, and found Drew there, wielding a bronze knife. He thought he had come to protect her, but now they would be fighting side by side. It was a jarring mental image. Up until the capture the flag match a few months ago, for all he knew, Drew might've been a pacifist or something. It was like discovering a whole new side of her.

"You ready for this?" He asked, trying to keep his voice lighthearted in spite of the circumstances.

Drew smiled at him again, "I've been practicing". And Michael couldn't help but grin at her newfound confidence. Then the first wave of dracaenae arrived and crashed into the newly created defenses.

The bad news was that all of the half-bloods were mediocre swordsmen at best, the good news was the battleground was so congested, the dracaenae couldn't take advantage of it. The Greeks thrived in the chaos of the melee, they played off each other, anticipated each other's strikes, slashed and rolled on pure instinct. Michael cut one dracaena clean through, then nicked another, but suddenly a third dracaena managed to get inside Michael's guard and disarm him. The monster gleefully closed in for the kill, only for a bronze knife to fly from nowhere into its chest, turning it to dust. Michael looked to his side and saw Drew looking back at him as if she couldn't believe she had really just done that, but they both knew that she had. She'd just saved his life.

Michael really wished he could somehow stop this battle right now so he could tell her how amazing she was to him, heck, he might have even said that he loved her. But of course he had to get back to the matter at hand, and things were about to get even more dicey. The dracaenae had just been the first wave, the invaders had saved their big guns for last.

The Laistrygonians, 8 foot behemoths that they were, presented a big, easy target, but they also brought brute strength, and they weren't shy of using it. The demigods had by now been worn down from fighting off the dracaenae, several of them were wounded, some badly enough to be effectively out of action. Michael took a quick visual survey of the situation, they had 8 half-bloods who could still fight, against 4 giants. Those looked like good odds until you realized the giants could kill you with one swing of their club. Whatever line had once been established was fractured, as people were just trying to stay alive. Michael now stood alongside Drew and Lee Fletcher, trying desperately to fend off one of the giants. The monster swung his club, barely missing them, and Lee charged in, but his strike only struck the armor, and the giant remained standing. Michael quickly followed up with a low slash at the ankles, but his form was off, and the monster kicked him away.

Michael tried to stand, he was wounded, clutching his chest, and his vision was blurred, but he could see the monster and Lee going at each other, a smash of the club, then a dodge, then a counter, then another smash...

The giant seemed vulnerable, its club was embedded in the ground. In the time it would take to pull it out, Lee could get past the Laistrygonian's guard and-

He never saw it coming. The giant had only been pretending to have his club stuck, as soon as Lee made his approach, the monster rapidly swung sideways, landing a direct hit and sending Lee sprawling to the ground several feet away.

Time seemed to have stopped in the worst way. It was like a nightmare he couldn't wake uo from "No!" Michael cried in anguish. The giant was moving towards Lee's motionless body, Drew stood between them, but there was no way she could get close enough to use her knife... Suddenly the pain didn't matter anymore, nothing mattered, nothing but saving the two people he cared about most.

The next thing he knew, he was running, sword at his side, charging headlong at Lee's possible killer. The giant noticed too late, and tried to smack Michael the same way it had Lee, but he was ready and rolled under it, then, with a quick slash to the unarmored stomach, the murderous thing was finally gone.

* * *

"I need a medic!" Michael yelled at anyone who would listen, for all he knew, there was no one in earshot. The Battle of the Labyrinth was over. Percy and Annabeth had defeated the nightmare creature with some help from a hundred-handed one, a hellhound, and Daedalus himself, which seemed beyond belief, but it had apparently happened. Then, Grover Underwood, the satyr, had driven away what remained of the Titan Army by unleashing some gods-awful scream. All of this was interesting, but none of it was of any importance to Michael Yew right now. Lee Fletcher, his friend, his half-brother, his cabin leader, was on the brink of death.

"Somebody get me a medic!" He repeated, even louder this time. He cursed himself for not being a good healer, if only Will Solace were here, but right he would helping the wounded over on the other side of the forest.

Drew was still by his side, and together they stood vigil over the dying Apollo leader. But it couldn't end like this, Michael told himself, it wasn't right, it wasn't just, not when the battle was won. Not when they should have been celebrating together.

"Listen Lee, you're going to make it through this, all right?" Michael said, more to reassure himself than his friend.

Lee was in bad shape, but he could still talk, with much effort. "Not this time...can't...control when the Fates cut your string."

Michael shook his head violently "Don't give me that new age baloney, Fletcher, you're going to live and that's final."

Lee cracked a faint smile, even as his voice came out in a weak, forced cadence. "You..always were the stubborn one. You never give up...I- I admire that in you. Apollo is in good hands with you in charge."

"No, no you can't-"

Lee interrupted him one last time. "Yew...remember what we talked about...earlier. I could stand death- worst punishment in Hades...knowing that you found happiness."

Michael tried to think of something, anything to say in reply, but the light in Lee's eyes had faded. He was gone, a serene look on his face, as though he had died in his sleep rather than at the hand of a savage giant. Michael Yew wept as he knelt above Lee Fletcher, his fallen brother, only Drew's comforting embrace giving him shelter from the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Aftermath **

(_Funeral for the fallen half-bloods of the engagement now commonly referred to as the "Battle of the Labyrinth") _

_(Drew_)

* * *

_So this is what the aftermath of a real battle looks like_. It was a sobering thought for Drew as she stood in the crowd for the grim funeral proceedings, which had taken up most of the day. Casket after casket was presented - each handmade by members of the deceased's own cabin - close friends delivered eulogies, and one by one, the caskets went up in flames. Chiron presided over the whole dreary affair, he himself had been injured in combat, but fortunately had survived.

In truth, that was all Camp Half-Blood had done, survive. The Battle of the Labyrinth was a pyrric victory, and no one felt like celebrating. Families would have to be informed, iris messages would have to be placed...

Drew found herself wondering what would've happened if she had died. Would anyone from the outside world care? Would they even notice she was gone? She wondered who would speak at her funeral. Silena Beauregard certainly, but who else? Michael Yew? The thought somehow gave her comfort, and then she remembered.

It had been such a shock to see Lee Fletcher, a boy she'd known since her first day at camp who had generally been nothing but kind to everyone, lying on the ground, life fading away. How much more of a shock for Michael, who had known him even longer and been his half brother? The Fates were cruel indeed, and for what purpose? There didn't seem to be any grand, noble scheme to it, just more senseless death. Michael stood off to the side, away from his cabin mates. Maybe they had tried to console him, maybe they had told him this was just the will of the gods, and there must be a reason for it. _Platitudes only offer so much comfort,_ Drew thought. A simple action would speak louder than any words could. So Drew did what came naturally to her. She followed her heart.

"You shouldn't be alone at a time like this."

Michael tilted his head towards her when he heard her voice, then went back to staring at the ground. "I'm not alone," he said quietly.

"You know what I mean."

"They want me to eulogize Lee."

Drew wasn't surprised, they had been very close, after all. "You'll do great, trust me."

"I trust you- it's...it's me I don't trust. I can't do Lee Fletcher justice, not in the state I'm in. I- I'd break down...I wouldn't find the right words to say."

Drew then surprised herself, she leaned in and hugged him. She could practically feel all the built up tension in his body, the doubt crushing him like the burden of Atlas. At first he didn't seem to know how to respond, then he squeezed back, and they just stood like that for what felt like an eternity.

"You knew Lee better than anybody. It doesn't have to be an academy award winning speech, it just has to be you."

Michael looked up at her. "What if that's not enough?"

Drew shook her head emphatically. "That could never be. Look at them, Michael," she pointed to the despondent group Apollo campers. "They look up to you, it was obvious to me from the first day I got here. They'll rally around you, but they need their leader, they need you."

Michael ran a hand through his hair. "And what if I feel overwhelmed, like I can't go on?"

"When you feel like that, just look for me in the crowd, and you'll know that I'm here for you."

"Are you sure you're not charmspeaking me right now?" Michael asked, almost cracking a smile in spite of himself.

Drew shook her head as she tried to strike a more playful tone. "I can give my own pep talks, thank you very much."

This time Michael did smile, and he hugged her again. "You're a lifesaver, you know that?"

And right on cue, Chiron's somber voice announced that the proceedings for Lee had begun. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to bid a mournful farewell to Lee Bartholomew Fletcher, counselor of cabin seven, a true hero in every sense of the word..."

* * *

_One year later _  
(_Yew_)

* * *

Somehow, Lee's absence had turned into a presence all of its own. No matter what Michael did, those final words from his deceased half-brother always found their way back into his mind. "_I could stand death- worst punishment in Hades...knowing that you found happiness."_

Lee had spoken those words just before he died, now it was a year later, and the war's end was still nowhere in sight. In fact, Apollo and Ares cabins were apparently supposed to conduct a raid on some Titan outpost in a few days. The details of that would be discussed today. Lee and Michael had survived everything the world had thrown at them, and then just like that, Lee was gone. Most campers would consider themselves lucky or blessed by the gods to have survived as many combat engagements as Michael had. What if this was the time when his luck ran out? Then he would depart to the afterlife having never told Drew how he really felt about her.

"Hey Mike," a voice cut through his thoughts, it was one of the other Apollo campers. "We're dismissed right? Morning inspection is over."

He'd been lieutenant for so long, it felt strange now being cabin counselor, having others look to you for direction and guidance...

"Uh, yeah. Apollo dismissed. Meet up here in half an hour, we have archery practice, double session today."

Nobody in the Apollo cabin was going to complain about extra archery, and they all cheerfully filed out. Only one lingered behind, as if he had noticed something was off. It was Will Solace, of course. That boy could pick up on the slightest shift, the most subtle complexion.

"Everything okay, Yew?" Will asked.

"It's fine, Will, don't worry about me. Enjoy your free time."

"I miss him too, but we have faith in you, you're our leader now." And with that, Will walked out the door leaving Michael alone. _Better to let him think it's still Lee that's got me down. _And of course, he still mourned Lee's passing, but what really weighed on him was much bigger than that. Sooner or later he would have to make the decsion he had tried for years to avoid.

* * *

_(Counselor conference on the coduct of the Titan War_)

* * *

Later that day, there was another meeting at the Big House of the cabin counselors - these were becoming more and more frequent as the war continued to escalate. Michael remembered how his younger self had often felt left out, like the counselors were getting all the good info and leaving everyone else in the dark. Now he understood the true gravity of what was spoken of in here, and now he longed for those days of blissful ignorance and wished he'd never become counselor of cabin seven.

The current topic at hand was this raid that he was supposed to lead with Clarrise La Rue (technically, since she was slightly older, she was in overall command, a point Michael had a feeling the hotheaded daughter of Ares would not hesitate to bring up again and again).

"The Titan Army is preparing for its final assault on Olympus. They've been setting up bases in western and upstate New York, so they have Manhattan cut off completely. To do this however, they had to spread out their forces, this means that small groups of half-bloods can do a lot of damage if we hit in the right spots." Anmabeth was explaining.

"Yeah? And what's so important about this particular base? It's out in the middle of nowhere! This is a waste of the Ares cabin's time. Call us when you want us to put our lives on the line for something that actually matters." Clarisse replied hotly.

"I'm getting there, Clarisse. Intelligence reports indicate that this particular base is holding a very important item, something that could prove valuable to the war effort: a winged chariot."

"A winged chariot," Clarisse repeated flatly, unimpressed.

"Yes, I know it doesn't sound like much, but...well, you guys know how my dad is a professor of military history? One of his favorite periods to teach is World War One, and he would never waste an opportunity to remind people of the potency of air power and its ability to change the whole complexion of a battle. Let's face it, Kronos's army is larger and better equipped, this chariot could be just what we need to level the playing field a bit."

There was silence for several moments as the counselors contemplated Annabeth's words.

"It's an awfully big risk, Annabeth," Beckendorf, who had been completely silent up to this point, noted somberly.

"I know," Annabeth acknowledged. "And normally I would never recommend making a move like this before being reasonably certain of victory, but given the current situation we're in, I think it's a risk we have to take."

"Shall we put it to a vote then?"

"Fine," Clarisse grumbled.

"Hang on a sec, how come only Ares and Apollo get to go?" Travis Stoll interrupted. "You're supposed to be stealing something from the Titans...you know our dad is the god of thieves right? We were _made _for this, baby!"

"Oh honestly, Travis, this isn't one of your little pickpockets, it's not a game" Katie Gardner cut in. "this is real life, they'll kill you!"

"Whatever, Katie. You're no fun anyways," Travis grumbled.

Michael observed that Katie looked a lot more hurt than angry at Stoll's brush off. "All I was trying to say is-"

"The _point _is," Annabeth said quickly, hoping to defuse the awkward situation, "we can't afford to send too many half-bloods at one time. It's best to go in small groups, so we have the element of surprise. Out of all the cabins, Apollo and Ares are the closest to full battle readiness. Hermes is just too chaotic and disorganized at this time, Travis, I'm sorry."

Travis didn't look too happy about that, but he raised no further objections.

"What about you," Clarisse wheeled her accusing gaze over to Michael. "You're awfully quiet for someone who's supposed to be leading your cabin into battle."

He had been quiet, but it was because his mind was elsewhere. This loud, hectic meeting was the last place he wanted to be right now. Lee's last words kept running through his head over and over...

"Don't worry about us, we'll be ready."

Clarisse still looked skeptical, but finally nodded. Then Michael noticed Silena Beauregard, eho normally talked quite a bit in these conferences, had been totally silent, and was writing something down in a journal. Taking notes wasn't against the rules or anything but...it was odd for someone who wasn't even going on the mission. _Wait, what am I doing? _Michael thought. Silena Beauregard was an old friend and a trusted ally. She must've had a good reason for whatever she was doing. So he tried to think no further of it. Apparently no one else had noticed or cared, and the conversation went on until the late afternoon.

* * *

He hadn't planned any of this. Not finding out he was a half-blood, not coming to camp, not losing Lee, not falling for Drew. And now he was going on a raid, not even one of the glamorous ones, but for a mere winged chariot. Annabeth had tried to assure them of it's usefulness, but Clarisse had raised a good point, and Michael didn't often agree with Clarisse. Was this really worth risking the lives of two cabins? Yet Drew's words to him on that dreary day a year ago never left him. _They need their leader, they need you_. She was right then and she was right now. So for better or worse, he would lead his half brothers and sisters into the fray once more. And that left just one decision to make, but he wasn't sure he was ready yet. He just needed some time to think.

The canoe lake was beautiful at sunset. It was also calming, a place to get away from everything and everyone for a while and just clear your head. Which was why Michael was surprised to see that someone was already there, sitting by the shore. Her deep brown hair shone golden in the fading orange light, which also illuminated her delicate features. It could only be her. Drew Tanaka. The fates had interfered with his plans once again.

"Hey," he said quietly as he sat beside her.

She replied with the same simple word, nd they sat there, in silence, just staring out at the sunlight-bathed water, neither seeming to find the words they wanted to say. _It's now or never, _Michael thought to himself. This was the moment.

"Drew, I need to-"

"There's something I-"

They'd both spoken simultaneously. "You first," Drew said.

Michael nodded, took a deep breath and started again. "Drew...there's no way around this. From the first time I met you- there was something I just couldn't explain. And no matter how much I've tried to rationalize it, or ignore it, or run from it, I realize now that I can't, and I shouldn't. It took me far too long to realize that, but someone once told me...well, let's just say this person made me realize that my happiness mattered too."

He stopped momentarily and looked up at her, but she was waiting for him to go on.

"I like you, Drew. I really like you. I think I might love you. And before anything else happens, I just want you to know that."

"I know," Drew said quietly after several anxious seconds. "I mean, I guessed, it's an Aphrodite thing I suppose. I feel the same, I always have, but I tried to run from it. I wanted to know that you liked me and weren't just using me. And...that kiss you gave me during the capture the flag match was like a flashing neon sign."

Michael blushed and grinned sheepishly. She was the only one who could do that to him, and it never ceased to amaze. _She _never ceased to amaze.

"That was kind of spur of the moment though, I never got to kiss you properly."

Drew leaned closer. "Then you should ask me now."

"May I?"

"Yes," she whispered softly as their lips brushed and finally met for a long, passionate kiss. It had taken years, but Michael had at last found where he belonged. It was here with Drew, and nothing, not the fiercest monster nor the mightiest Titan, was going to stop him from coming back to her.


End file.
